Which one should you use?
The imperfective form слу́хати is used to describe the ongoing process of listening. If you want to express listening to something for a single instance or for a short duration, use the perfective counterpart послу́хати.
How does it change in a sentence?
слу́хати is an imperfective verb, which describes the ongoing process of listening rather than a completed act. The perfective version is послу́хати, used for short durations or specific instances.
How do you pronounce it?
slúxaty
When do people say it?
In formal settings like classrooms, you may hear the phrase Будь ласка, уважно слухайте to mean 'Please, listen attentively'. In formal meetings, the phrase Прошу прислухатися is used to say 'I ask you to listen'. In informal contexts, the phrase Зверни увагу (pay attention) is often used interchangeably with 'listen'.
Did you know?
- The Ukrainian word for 'obedient' is слухняний, which is derived from слу́хати. This means that a 'good child' in Ukraine is literally described as a 'listening child'.
- In Ukrainian, the act of 'listening to music' uses слу́хати, but 'listening to a secret' might use the prefix прислу́хатися, which implies leaning in or focusing intently.
- The perfective form послу́хати can be used as a social lubricant to ask for a favor or a moment of time, similar to the English phrase 'hear me out'.
Examples in context
- Слухайте, друзі!Listen, friends!
- Слухай, братик!Listen, little brother!
- Зверни увагу на цеListen/Pay attention to this
- Я слу́хаю му́зику.I am listening to music.
- Я люблю слу́хати музику.Ya lyublyu slukhaty muzyku.I love to listen to music.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “listen” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
